


Friday Night

by justbygrace



Series: Inspired by Songs [7]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-06
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:40:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7968193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"And we danced<br/>Out there on that empty hardwood floor<br/>The chairs up and the lights turned way down low<br/>The music played, we held each other close"<br/>~'We Danced' Brad Paisley</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friday Night

It was just another Friday night, and he was sweeping up behind the bar, head pounding with the echoes of music and the demands of customers. Running the local watering hole while going for his Doctorate had seemed like a good idea back in the summer when he was still getting enough sleep and before he had to deal with arrogant professors and belligerent drunks. He was just dumping the remnants of another night of partying into the bin when the front door creaked open. Cursing himself for forgetting to lock it, he hollered that he was sorry, but they were closed, before standing upright to face the intruder. It was a young woman, blonde, dressed simply in jeans and a pink jacket. She blushed under his scrutiny and said something about forgetting her purse. Yeah, he definitely remembered putting one back there, but he did not remember her and he was absolutely certain he would never have forgotten that face. Leaning on the counter, he asked her to describe the purse and she laughed, telling him she couldn't remember every single thing, but she bet he couldn't describe his wallet in any specific detail. He countered and she responded, he joked and she parried; it was a game he had never played before and didn't want to stop. When he next glanced at the clock, he was shocked to see over an hour had passed. She saw his gaze and sighed, stating she really did need to get going. He was racking his brain, trying to think of ways to convince her to see him again, when without warning, the jukebox kicked on, the strains of Glen Miller filling the room, and he was hit with a sudden inspiration. Setting the purse on the counter, he came around it towards her, hand outstretched and grin firmly in place, telling her, "You're only getting this back on one condition." She grinned at him, tongue glinting at the corner of her mouth, and he forgot to breathe for a solid moment, just dumbly followed her as she pulled him to the middle of the deserted room.

It was just another Friday night, and he was straightening the papers on his desk, exhausted from the day of trying to teach unruly teenagers Physics concepts. This type of work hadn't been what he had in mind when he started his education and there were days when he would definitely trade in corralling teenagers for dealing with angry drunks, but the rewards were worth the trials, even on days like today. Pushing the last of the abysmal test results into his case, he heard the classroom door creak open. He sighed deeply. He had plans tonight, plans that did not include staying at work late, and he turned to the door to tell the visitor he wasn't available, but the words died in his throat. His Rose was standing there, dressed in the most exquisite black dress he had ever seen, and his mouth fell open. She laughed, crossing the room and tapping the underside of his jaw, telling him not to drool. He had plans, plans for a five-star restaurant and flowers and wine, but his brain was shorting out and he found himself dropping to his knees, hand scrabbling in his pocket, pulling out a black velvet box and offering it to her, words that he had no control over bubbling out of his mouth. She wasn't laughing now, those were tears, and oh, he had totally cocked this whole thing up, he just knew it. He was stuck, frozen on his knees on a dusty schoolroom floor, desperately watching her as she walked past him to his laptop, and then the familiar tones of Glen Miller were cascading around him and she was taking the box from his hand and setting it on the desk and pulling him to his feet, wrapping her arms around him, and whispering in his ear, "I'll only marry you on one condition." He came alive then, hauling her to him, and spinning them both around the middle of the empty room.

It was just another Friday night, and he was late, exceedingly late, ridiculously late, and she was going to kill him. Well, maybe not. She was a forgiving creature, more than he was ever going to deserve no matter how old he got. Still, there was no point in tempting fate and he pulled into the driveway with a screech of tires he was definitely going to hear about later. He had a speech prepared, something no doubt brilliant and philosophical, but it died in his throat when he entered the house to find it dark. He couldn't breathe, taking the stairs two at a time, sure that despite promises and declarations and vows she had finally realized that she was way out of his league. He burst into their bedroom, breathing hard, to find her sitting beside the bed, knees drawn up, fingering something that he couldn't make out in the half light. He dropped to his knees beside her, pulling her into his arms, breathing calming slightly when she didn't resist. He was whispering words that he was only half aware of, begging her to not leave and telling her he was sorry, so very sorry. She disentangled herself and he let her go reluctantly, tensing himself to await her verdict, and was shocked when she pressed the object into his hand. It took him a second, a minute, a lifetime to figure out what it was, a white plastic rectangle, and then his vision was blurring and he turned away to hit a button on the bedside radio. As the ever-soothing sounds of Glen Miller filled the room, he reached for her blindly, barely managing to choke out the words, "I'll only do this with you on one condition." She burrowed herself in him and he clutched her tight and together they spun around their bedroom floor.


End file.
